for the girl.
Bitty rose from the couch and went to the front door. A moment later, Allie heard her saying, “Detective. Sergeant. What a nice surprise. Come on in.”
Allie’s pulse spiked, suddenly self-conscious. She wished she’d known the detective would be coming by. She glanced down at herself: old sweats, a Marvel Lego T-shirt she’d bought for herself because she knew Sammy would like it.
Oh, God.
She sat up straight and ran her fingers beneath her eyes to catch any bits of fallen mascara, then retied her hair into a topknot.
How I made such an ugly child is beyond me.
“Shut up,” she whispered, shoving her mother’s words away.
Sammy looked up at her. “What you say, Mommy?”
“Sorry, baby. Nothing.”
Hopefully Bitty would bring the police officers to her office and not to the kitchen, otherwise they’d pass through the living room.
“Anyone care for some coffee?” Bitty asked, heading to the kitchen.
Allie groaned.
“Always,” she heard Detective Lambert say.
She closed her eyes and willed them to pass by without them noticing her.
Sammy’s head swiveled as Bitty and the police officers walked through the room. “Hi, policemans!”
Great! Just great!
“Hi. Sammy, right?” Detective Lambert asked.
Sammy nodded, one of his nostrils crusted with dried blood, a big smile on his face.
“Can I get a high five?” the detective asked.
Piglet jumped down from the couch and sniffed the detective’s legs, while Sammy gave him a high five.
“And how are you today, Miss Allie?” he asked. He rested a large hand on her shoulder—and her stomach did a somersault.
“I’m fine.” Against her will, her eyes flitted to him, and his blue eyes held hers.
“Great. That’s really good to hear.”
“And you?” she asked, holding his gaze, again determined not to be the one to break eye contact.
“Just fantastic,” he answered.
He was wearing plain clothes again. A black V-neck sweater with a black button-down beneath it, dark jeans, black cowboy boots. Identification hung from around his neck. He was beautiful, and she was most uncomfortable around beautiful people. She didn’t trust them. Especially ones as handsome as this guy. People like him made her feel uglier than she sometimes already felt. But there was something aside from his looks that made her feel . . . actually, she wasn’t certain what she was feeling. All she knew was the room suddenly felt too hot.
“Good afternoon.” Sergeant Davis smiled. He was holding his black leather notebook between his palms.
“Good afternoon, Sergeant,” Allie said, grateful to have a reason to break eye contact with the detective.
Sergeant Davis winked at her, then his eyes skimmed the living room. He cracked his notebook open and scribbled something in it.
“Allie, would you mind showing Detective Lambert and Sergeant Davis to the dining room table and put on a fresh pot of coffee while I go check on the girls real quick?” Bitty called.
“Yes, ma’am,” Allie answered.
As instructed, Allie showed the policemen to the table and brewed a fresh pot of coffee, suspicious as to why Bitty hadn’t just asked her to look in on the girls.
When the coffee was ready, Bitty was already sitting at the table, talking with the officers. As Allie served the coffee, she was careful not to look directly at Detective Lambert’s face—especially into his eyes, because her body was still buzzing from the last time they’d made eye contact.
Back in the kitchen, she heated up leftovers and prepared a large salad for dinner. She dipped her arms, elbow-deep, in warm, soapy water as she quietly cleaned pots and pans and listened in on the three as they talked at the table. From where she stood, she had a perfect vantage point. She could see Bitty full-on, and Detective Lambert’s profile.
After a few minutes of small talk, Bitty took a sip of her coffee, then held the mug between her hands. “Okay, so I have a question for you that
Bitty rose from the couch and went to the front door. A moment later, Allie heard her saying, “Detective. Sergeant. What a nice surprise. Come on in.”
Allie’s pulse spiked, suddenly self-conscious. She wished she’d known the detective would be coming by. She glanced down at herself: old sweats, a Marvel Lego T-shirt she’d bought for herself because she knew Sammy would like it.
Oh, God.
She sat up straight and ran her fingers beneath her eyes to catch any bits of fallen mascara, then retied her hair into a topknot.
How I made such an ugly child is beyond me.
“Shut up,” she whispered, shoving her mother’s words away.
Sammy looked up at her. “What you say, Mommy?”
“Sorry, baby. Nothing.”
Hopefully Bitty would bring the police officers to her office and not to the kitchen, otherwise they’d pass through the living room.
“Anyone care for some coffee?” Bitty asked, heading to the kitchen.
Allie groaned.
“Always,” she heard Detective Lambert say.
She closed her eyes and willed them to pass by without them noticing her.
Sammy’s head swiveled as Bitty and the police officers walked through the room. “Hi, policemans!”
Great! Just great!
“Hi. Sammy, right?” Detective Lambert asked.
Sammy nodded, one of his nostrils crusted with dried blood, a big smile on his face.
“Can I get a high five?” the detective asked.
Piglet jumped down from the couch and sniffed the detective’s legs, while Sammy gave him a high five.
“And how are you today, Miss Allie?” he asked. He rested a large hand on her shoulder—and her stomach did a somersault.
“I’m fine.” Against her will, her eyes flitted to him, and his blue eyes held hers.
“Great. That’s really good to hear.”
“And you?” she asked, holding his gaze, again determined not to be the one to break eye contact.
“Just fantastic,” he answered.
He was wearing plain clothes again. A black V-neck sweater with a black button-down beneath it, dark jeans, black cowboy boots. Identification hung from around his neck. He was beautiful, and she was most uncomfortable around beautiful people. She didn’t trust them. Especially ones as handsome as this guy. People like him made her feel uglier than she sometimes already felt. But there was something aside from his looks that made her feel . . . actually, she wasn’t certain what she was feeling. All she knew was the room suddenly felt too hot.
“Good afternoon.” Sergeant Davis smiled. He was holding his black leather notebook between his palms.
“Good afternoon, Sergeant,” Allie said, grateful to have a reason to break eye contact with the detective.
Sergeant Davis winked at her, then his eyes skimmed the living room. He cracked his notebook open and scribbled something in it.
“Allie, would you mind showing Detective Lambert and Sergeant Davis to the dining room table and put on a fresh pot of coffee while I go check on the girls real quick?” Bitty called.
“Yes, ma’am,” Allie answered.
As instructed, Allie showed the policemen to the table and brewed a fresh pot of coffee, suspicious as to why Bitty hadn’t just asked her to look in on the girls.
When the coffee was ready, Bitty was already sitting at the table, talking with the officers. As Allie served the coffee, she was careful not to look directly at Detective Lambert’s face—especially into his eyes, because her body was still buzzing from the last time they’d made eye contact.
Back in the kitchen, she heated up leftovers and prepared a large salad for dinner. She dipped her arms, elbow-deep, in warm, soapy water as she quietly cleaned pots and pans and listened in on the three as they talked at the table. From where she stood, she had a perfect vantage point. She could see Bitty full-on, and Detective Lambert’s profile.
After a few minutes of small talk, Bitty took a sip of her coffee, then held the mug between her hands. “Okay, so I have a question for you that
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